The underlying suspicion of Stephen Harper's government -which is that the bench is infested with softies and that it is right to punish crimes more severely than they have been in the past -is a reactionary and brutish reflex that is presumably aimed at a political constituency unlikely to stray into the arms of this government's opponents anyway. Hand-cuffing the judges merely makes justice more unlikely. And simply raising the sentences for everyone, which is essentially what is recommended, is not justified by the recidivism rates in many categories of offence. It also would legitimize the repugnant concept that criminal penalties should exceed that which is necessary to expiate the past and discourage a return to crime.

Interesting the perspective some time inside the criminal justice system can give someone.